Organic and sustainable products have become the rage over the past decade; the popularity of biodynamic farming is surging as well, although few people know much about it. Some practitioners embrace it with the fervor of converts to a new religion, while cynics criticize it as a far-fetched and marginal cult. The debate dates to 1924, when Rudolph Steiner gave a series of lectures that became the basis for the biodynamic method. Steiner was an Austrian philosopher and mystic, who coincidentally founded his own spiritual movement. What’s the truth? Mark has an extended conversation with Deb hatcher, owner of Rex Hill Winery in Oregon; after purchasing Rex Hill in 2007, Deb and her husband decided to convert the estate to biodynamics. She discusses some of the reasoning behind that decision, and explains why the method makes sense to her. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark explores the growth in the world’s most popular liquor—Chinese Baijiu—and investigates which state in the Union has the greatest number of bars and liquor stores per capita.

LINKS:

Rex Hill Winery—Link to: http://www.rexhill.com

Biodynamic Farming—Link to: http://www.demeter.net

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:
http://www.iconicspirits.net